SOUTH BEND – Brian Kelly is a proponent of the new early signing period.

While it’s drawn criticism from Nick Saban and Kirby Smart — coaches who are currently preparing for the College Football Playoff — Kelly and Notre Dame have a different opinion. Kelly, who said he was in favor of the new model back in the spring, was asked how the Dec. 20-22 signing period has impacted everything else now that he’s gone through it.

“I like it,” he said. “I think that from our perspective, it’s allowed us to really identify those that want to be here at Notre Dame and make that decision. I’m very confident with the work that we’ve done, that (Dec. 20) will prove to be a really good day for Notre Dame football and leave us with the opportunity to start looking towards just a few players that need to be signed in February and moving ahead in the calendar to 2019s and ‘20s.”

Notre Dame currently boasts the No. 6 ranked class for 2018, according to 247Sports. It expects to sign all 20 prospects committed and could snag a couple more targets Wednesday and on national signing day in February.

“There were some kids in there that they really had to pound the pavement for and they were legit good recruiting wins, especially on the defensive side of the ball,” said 247Sports director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong. “But the jewel of the class, in my opinion, is (quarterback) Phil Jurkovec. He’s a franchise quarterback. He was one of the first guys to blow up in the 2018 class and be highly recruited. Clemson, Ohio State, Penn State, they would have loved to have him, so that was a big recruiting win for Notre Dame.”

Jurkovec is a four-star dual-threat quarterback from Gibsonia, Pa. The 6-5, 215-pound signal caller was recently named the Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year and has been committed to the Fighting Irish since May 2016.

“Then on defense, they’re really continuing to upgrade,” Wiltfong said. “When you look at the way Notre Dame closed last year with guys like Jordan Genmark-Heath and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, those guys were huge gets and guys that will be really good players at Notre Dame. Then you add this class along with it.”

Defensive players who could make immediate impacts next season are a handful of four- star players in rover Shayne Simon, safety Derrick Allen, defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola and linebacker Jack Lamb.

The Irish are also in play for a couple top defensive backs from the West Coast who are expected to announce their decisions Wednesday. Four-star safety Julius Irvin from Anaheim, Calif. will choose between Notre Dame and USC; while cornerback Kyler Gordon from Everett. Wash. is considering Notre Dame and Washington. Both would add depth to an Irish secondary that needs more playmakers.

Wiltfong said Gordon in particular would be a “humongous” get for the Irish.

“He’s their top corner target and they’ve really worked hard to get him,” Wiltfong said. “Recruiting against Washington, who’s got a really good thing going out there. Sometimes you don’t win them all.

“There have been times in the past where Notre Dame has lost recruiting battles because their effort wasn’t on par with the other programs. If they lose Kyler Gordon, it won’t be because of lack of effort.”

Most Power Five programs would ideally like to have their whole class signed Wednesday. That way coaching staffs can focus the final two months on one or two more players to round out their class rather than making sure 20-something commits aren’t having second thoughts or getting flipped by another program.

Although Kelly said he likes the early period, he may not have said the same thing last year while making staff changes. Defensive coordinator Mike Elko and special teams coordinator Brian Polian are two of Notre Dame’s lead recruiters. Elko’s hire was announced last year on Dec. 20, while Polian’s was made official Dec. 27.

And if the early period had been enacted last December, perhaps two top players of the 2017 Irish recruiting class — Genmark-Heath and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah — would not have ended up in South Bend. They were flipped by Notre Dame days before signing day and might have signed in December with different programs if they had the option. Notre Dame’s new staff had a major impact on both players — and Tagovailoa-Amosa — ultimately committing last January.

“Notre Dame really got a boost on the recruiting trail with some of the hires that they made,” Wiltfong said. “Mike Elko has quickly become one of the more active defensive coordinator recruiters in the country. Brian Polian is a pound the pavement guy. He’s there to recruit. He works hard and really believes what he’s selling to kids, which is Notre Dame.”

Meanwhile, Notre Dame is preparing to play LSU in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day. Kelly acknowledges although he likes the early period (so far), his schedule has been much busier the last few weeks.

“I was on a plane Friday night. Left here at 3 and got back at 3,” he said. “It’s taxing, but it’s doable. I think the net benefit for our recruiting class and getting them locked down on Dec. 20 is something that I would definitely be a proponent for.”